This statement was delivered by the World Heart Federation under agenda item 13.5 – Substandard and Falsified Medical Products – at the Seventy-Eighth World Health Assembly.
Honourable Chair, Distinguished Delegates,
The World Heart Federation, supported by the Fight the Fakes Alliance, welcomes the independent evaluation of the Member State Mechanism on Substandard and Falsified Medical Products.
The World Health Organization estimates that one in ten medicines in low- and middle-income countries are substandard or falsified, threatening lives and eroding trust in health systems.[i] Globally, countries waste an estimated US 30.5 billion annually on such products.
We strongly support the recommendations to strengthen engagement with non-State actors and explore mechanisms to improve Member State participation as well as sustainable financing.
Our alliance stands ready to collaborate with Member States, WHO, civil society, regulatory agencies, custom officers, manufacturers, distributors, healthcare workers, and all relevant stakeholders to ensure universal access to safe, effective, and quality-assured medical products.
Thank you
[i] According to WHO latest data from Dec 2024: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/substandard-and-falsified-medical-products#:~:text=At%20least%201%20in%2010,online%20or%20in%20informal%20markets.
